It is well known in the art of theft deterrence to use electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensors in order to discourage the theft of consumer products. In use, EAS sensors trigger an alarm if not detached or disarmed before the product is removed from the store. For many products, electronic sensors have been very effective in deterring theft. However, such sensors can be difficult to attach to certain products, for example jewelry, and can often be easily removed from such items even when attached. One higher price item that is difficult to effectively attach an electronic sensor to is a ring. It can be difficult to attach sensors to the band of a ring because if the sensors are overly rigid or cumbersome they can limit the customer's ability to try on the ring before purchasing. However, if the tag is easily removed it will not serve as a deterrent. Thus, tags to prevent theft are often attached to rings by using a thin, yet flexible, tear resistant plastic strap.
One such tag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,498. In the '498 patent the anti-theft tag includes an elongated housing that is attached to the ring by a tear resistant strap that is secured to an outer surface of the tag by a pressure sensitive adhesive. The tag is inserted within a ring display system that includes slots for receiving the body of the anti-theft tag. While generally effective, attaching the strap to the outside of a tag may allow a consumer to tamper with the attachment of the strap in an attempt to remove it.
Another such tag is U.S. Pat. No. 7,714,721 which is issued to the assignee of the present application. In the '721 patent the anti-theft tag includes an elongated housing for accommodating an EAS marker, a product support member that locks into the housing and which supports the ring, and a flexible, tear resistant strap for securing the ring to the support member, with the strap being disposed at least partially within the housing during use. In use, the tear resistant strap extends over the ring shank and the ends of the strap are received within the cavity of the housing in order to protect the strap from unauthorized removal by a consumer.